NAPERVILLE — Carroll and Illinois Wesleyan concluded the 2025-26 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women’s basketball regular season as co-champions on Saturday, each finishing conference play with a 15-1 record. Both programs secured victories in their regular-season finales to remain tied atop the league standings.
 
Carroll (21-4, 15-1 CCIW) earned a 68-65 home victory over Carthage at Van Male Fieldhouse to secure a share of the regular-season title and claim the No. 1 seed for the upcoming CCIW Women’s Basketball Tournament through tiebreak procedures. Carroll received the top seed by virtue of having a better record over the final eight conference games. With the No. 1 seed, Carroll will host the CCIW Tournament semifinals and championship game in Waukesha.
 
Senior Natalie Gricius led the Pioneers with a game-high 27 points, including key free throws in the closing seconds. Carroll held a 42-14 advantage in points in the paint and a 41-31 edge on the glass. The Pioneers led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter before Carthage cut the margin to three late in the fourth.
 
At Bloomington, No. 15 Illinois Wesleyan (20-5, 15-1 CCIW) posted an 86-68 win over Augustana to secure its share of the conference championship, marking the program’s third consecutive CCIW regular-season title.
 
Senior Ava Bardic scored 26 points and added a team-high seven steals for the Titans. Illinois Wesleyan also recorded two notable double-doubles in the win, as Leah Palmer finished with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, while Sawyer White totaled 14 points and 10 assists. White’s 10 assists were the most by an Illinois Wesleyan player in a single game since 2016. The Titans used a 19-2 run in the third quarter to extend the lead and create separation.